Michael Scott | July 1, 2018
2018 Assen Moto2 & Moto3 Sunday Results
Moto2 Race – 24 laps, 109.008 km
Title leader Pecco Bagnaia made no mistakes for a pole to chequer victory, the fourth of the season for the increasingly dominant SKY VR46 Kalex rider.
2018 Assen Moto2 & Moto3 Sunday Results
But there was heartbreak for Lorenzo Baldassarri (HP40 Kalex), who came though from 13th on the grid to a strong and eventually almost challenging second … only to suffer a punctured rear tyre with four laps to go.
And boundless joy for Catalunya winner Fabio Quartarao (Speed Up), who was demoted to tenth on the grid with a three-place penalty, but came slicing through to a brilliant second, narrowly ahead of Alex Marquez (EG-VDS Kalex).
Front-row starter Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Kalex) held fourth from persistent top rookie Joan Mir (EG-VDS Kalex), the reigning Moto3 champion.
Title challenger Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) was eventually closing in sixth, after qualifying a lowly 17th; his team-mate Brad Binder took seventh from Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Kalex) on the final lap.
After two difficult races, Bagnaia again opened up his point lead, 14 to Oliveira on 128 and Marquez (110). Baldassarri has 93, and Mir 69.
MOTUL TT ASSEN
Moto2 Race Classification 2018
Assen, Sunday, July 01, 2018
2018 Assen Moto2 & Moto3 Sunday Results
Moto3 Race – 22 laps, 99.924 km
A dramatic last lap turned the championship standings upside down after not only did pole qualifier Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Honda) claim a fine fighting win, but erstwhile points leader Marco Bezzecchi (Prustel KTM) crashed out of the battle for second with less than half a lap to go.
Martin has twice been knocked down and once crashed alone in the previous four, but today’s win (his fourth this year) returns him to the top of the standings.
There had been a race-long five-bike battle for the win. At the finish Aron Canet (EG Honda) snatched second from Catalunya winner Enea Bastianini (Leopard Honda) into the final chicane.
Erstwhile leader John McPhee (CIP KTM) crashed out of the front battle on the penultimate lap.
Jaume Masia (Bester KTM) was next, heading a huge group who had been engaged all race, fourth to eleventh covered by just over two seconds.
MOTUL TT ASSEN
Moto3 Race Classification 2018
Assen, Sunday, July 01, 2018